Suggestion..... employ more staff to answer tickets and phones

[#1]

I have noticed an improvement (compared to your previous "annus horribilis") - at least for time to first response.
Telephone delays seem to be improving.

[#2]

My biggest problem with the ticket system is one of inconsistency,  when I call CS to try and communicate my issue to the faults team I am told that i cant speak to the faults teamdirectly and that it will be passed on to them.
the ticket is not updated so how do we know if the right team even get information. thats assuming they even get message.

[#3]

Hi Lloyd,
I can see that there have been 3 notes added on your account in the last 24 hours or so.  Have you called us more often than that?
As you've stated, you are back on the 1-3Mbps band.  I'll have a chat with Keith to see what he suggests as the next step.
Whilst it is true that our faults team are generally not a "call taking" team, I would expect a message to get to them so that they can investigate your problems.

[#4]

Hi James,
thanks good to hear from you

I called CS twice today and no entry was made on ticket 33408428 I haven't got the exact time but is was within the last hour or so
The more experienced customers will know of alternative routes to raise any issues that they may have
I don't know if this is possible, but could customers with escalated faults have their tickets re-directed to the Faults team by default?

[#5]

If you raise a faults ticket then it should only be picked up by the faults team. Redirecting all other tickets to the faults team on an account wouldn't work particularly well, for example a query about how to set up email isn't best placed with the faults guys.

[#6]

Hi Chris
I not privy to how the ticket system works but my experience today was when I called CS I  today I was told that my concerns would relayed to the guys in faults..no entry was made on the ticket
Normally the CS agent would  enter something like Internal customer has raised issues please....etc  etc and it would get picked up by the relevant team.
If I understand you correctly then it is better to relay issues/concerns through the ticket rather than phone CS?

[#7]

CS agents as a rule are not meant to work faults tickets (as they're not trained to deal with them, and a lot of the updates are automatically received by our suppliers systems and such). They do have other ways to communicate with the faults team though, and will pass on comments and updates where needed.
I wouldn't expect a comment on the ticket, but I would expect them to add contacts to your account.

[#8]

This topic seems to have disappeared, much to the relief of the PlusNet staff who have given assurances many times over, that things will improve, given time....
Erm... it is now JANUARY 2011. and judging by the number of complaints about the phone system delay times and the delay BEFORE a ticket gets (looked at) answered, there seems to be little progress, and because of the number of new customers that PlusNet has gained, in effect. the customer service department is now "treading water" at the same level as November 2009, when  I first started this posting...
so... can the PlusNet staff, that so very boldly typed assurances, where no-one dared to post before, please come back and give some excuses that can be acceptable to the customers who are paying their wages, as to why the service that they assured us we should be getting "in a couple of months"... shortly.... soon... etc etc. has not materialised.

[#9]

But staff cost money.
If a customer requires more than a certain amount of staff time, it's more cost -effective to let them go to BT or Talk-Talk.

[#10]

shutter,
How are you measuring this? if its by the amount and the nature of complaints don't forget the majority of people using this site use it to raise concerns and complaints.
Or are you going on what can be seen on the CSC stats page or maybe through direct experiences of contacting us?

[#11]

Adam.
I know it is a long post.... but may I suggest you take a read through it..... and then come back to me with some "positive" answers. .... My personal experience , way back in November 2009, of hanging on a phone for 20 minutes, and then being told that there was not one person waiting all that time, and my other personal experiences (including recently when I had a speed problem) with the ticket system...
Since all the PlusNet staff, assured me, and others MANY MANY TIMES, during the post history, that "things will get better",.... just give us a bit of time... and you will see the improvements...
however.... You will see that waiting times on the phone is still 20 minutes,....  ( in the customers experiences on this Feedback board )  and to get a ticket "answered"... (i.e. looked at for the first time). is usually 48 hours minimum.... and each time you add a comment to the ticket, seems to put it further down the queue, and you have to wait another 24 to 48 hours for the CSC staff to respond. This means, that if, I have a problem at 0900 on Monday, it can only be just starting to be dealt with by Wednesday 0900, by the standard reply check this check that and get back to us... and that adds another delay.... so by Friday 0900, you really are no further forward than on Monday at 0900...
Frustrating, to say the least... Your "Stats" do not reflect the "customer experience" only the number of tickets/phone calls, that have been dealt with... and if "dealt with " means that you have seen it, and clicked on the key that sends back a "automated reply", then the stats do not reflect anything worthwhile....
Surely, you , can see the increasing number of frustrated NEW customers, that come to the forum, and vent their anger/disgust etc. is doing NOTHING for the image of PlusNet.... and unless someone like yourself, actually "takes control" of the particular customer complaint... they just go into the barrel, to be fished out when there is nothing better to do... this, of course, is hyperthetical, however, that is how the customer sees the "progress" of his particular ticket... and that, my friend , is what you need to address.....

Quote

How are you measuring this? if its by the amount and the nature of complaints don't forget the majority of people using this site use it to raise concerns and complaints.

a smug query on how I measure  things, is not doing you or PlusNet staff any favours... neither is it answering the questions that I originally, and have just recently , asked PlusNet staff to answer...
and ...
would it not be so much better, if the majority of people using this site ..... used it ..... to PRAISE and COMPLIMENT... instead of raising concerns and complaints...

[#12]

Quote

would it not be so much better, if the majority of people using this site ..... used it ..... to PRAISE and COMPLIMENT... instead of raising concerns and complaints...

I did (there is a post on here somewhere} 
Sadly after yesterday's fast response to my opening ticket comment there have been no replies to my follow up tickets since 
Ticket > Question topic: Billing | ID: 39202003
I guess I'm going to have to give BT some more money and phone MAAF/Plusnet, it's a pity they don't have a freephone number for CS, possibly not a good idea as the cost for a large* influx of calls every day would eat into profits.
*must be large, looking at the time it can take for your call to be answered 

[#13]

if you have home phone, calls via 0845 to PN are free (on all packages)

[#14]

(which answers the above posting,)..... there is also a 01 number for PlusNet sheffield, that is Free on BT lines (most packages)
but really  your response  does not have much to do with the original, and subsequent postings... regarding PlusNet staff answering.....

[#15]

I think the fact that Plusnet over this period have taken on a lot more customers but answer the calls in the same timeframe shows improvement? If no improvements were made then the amount of new customers would have extended times, thats the way i read it anyway. Further improvements are required yes but I think things have been going in the right direction all things considered.